Treasure Hunt Database (THDB)

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Cover art for 52 Master Pieces

52 Master Pieces

STATUS: SOLVED

A web-based armchair treasure hunt and puzzle contest to complete the pattern on 52 tiled grids, also including brain-teasers, ciphers, wordplay, and historical puzzle anecdotes.


The hunt website, which refers to itself as a "book," is filled with various puzzles as well as fun information about historical puzzles and creators. According to the website, “everything you need to solve the 52 Master Pieces and find the hidden Grandmaster Key can either be discovered by using this book [website], or is a basic skill or piece of information that you can discover through very light research. In some cases, figuring out what to do will be part of the puzzles. Every step along the way is designed to be fair, logical, and non-arbitrary.”

The most elegant puzzles are the ones that at first seem impossible, but when solved can be explained to a child. David Cohen

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Solution

Solver(s):
Charles Steinhardt with Paul Melamud and Joseph DeVincentis

Each of the 52 unique masters of various occupations require the hunter to solve each master’s “master piece,” a 5x5 grid with a unique pattern of black and white squares. Three separate puzzles are combined to create a single master piece:

  • “Hidden in plain site” key - where an object or graphic contains part of the 5x5 grid
  • “Tool of the trade” key - where the master’s tool reveals another part of the 5x5 grid
  • “Expert” key - where an expert puzzle contains elements logically connected to a master, and the solution leads to a third 5x5 grid

Solutions to the various puzzles and master puzzle are posted on the 52 Master Pieces hunt forum.